Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters

The Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism destination.

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters

Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters (Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: 1937

Address: Matian Village, Matian Town, 45 kilometers southeast of Zuoquan County

From July 1941 to August 1945, for a full four years, the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters and the 0 Central Committee’s Northern Bureau, among other agencies, were stationed here. They commanded the anti-Japanese military and civilians in North China and even across the nation to persist in resistance behind enemy lines. It was one of the key bases where the Chinese nation’s war of liberation transitioned from extreme hardship to comprehensive development, growth, and ultimately to total victory.

Headquarters Memorial Hall Located southwest of Shangmatian Village, it was expanded in 1981 from the former site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Matian. Matian Town is located at the junction of Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan, with a strategically vital position and abundant resources. It is defensible and suitable for launching offensives, possessing extremely high strategic value, historically known as the “Key to Shanxi’s Frontier.” From November 7, 1940, to August 15, 1945, for a full five years, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army’s leading organs, the Front Headquarters, along with various departments of the Central Northern Bureau (hereinafter referred to as the Northern Bureau), were stationed here. Leaders of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters such as Peng Dehuai, Zuo Quan, Teng Daiyuan, and Luo Ronghuan; leaders of the Northern Bureau; leaders of the 129th Division; leaders of the Shanxi-Hebei-Henan Military District; leaders of the Shanxi-Hebei-Henan Border Region Government; and leaders of the 0 Taihang District Committee, among other generations of national anti-Japanese elites, led and commanded the brave resistance of the military and civilians in North China here, heralding the dawn of the Chinese nation’s liberation.

The Headquarters Memorial Hall consists of three courtyards—the former site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, the former residence of [Name], the former residence of Zuo Quan—and a square, covering an area of 2,200 square meters with a total of 70 rooms. It houses the Headquarters Operations Room, Headquarters Office, Peng Dehuai’s Living Quarters, [Name]’s Living Quarters, Zuo Quan’s Living Quarters, Teng Daiyuan’s Living Quarters, Luo Ronghuan’s Living Quarters, the Exhibition Rooms on the Eighth Route Army in Matian (I & II), the Inscription Room, the Return Visit Photo Exhibition Room, the Reception Room, and the Memorial Hall Office. It serves as a commemorative site for people to honor the glorious achievements of the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries and countless martyrs.

Site of General Zuo Quan’s Martyrdom Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Located at the peak of Shizi Ridge, 1 kilometer south of Beiaipu Village, the memorial structures include a 70 cm high, 105 cm wide, and 15 cm thick white marble memorial stele marking the site of General Zuo Quan’s martyrdom, a limestone stele at the temporary burial site of General Zuo Quan, and a 5-meter-high Zuo Quan Memorial Pavilion covering an area of 200 square meters. Inside the pavilion stands a 3-meter-high Zuo Quan Memorial Tower, surrounded by stone tablets inscribed with memorial articles written by [Names].

In May 1942, the Japanese army deployed over 25,000 troops to carry out a large-scale “mopping-up” operation in the heart of the Taihang Base Area, attempting to encircle and crush the Eighth Route Army Headquarters and its main forces. On the night of May 24, over 10,000 personnel from the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, the Northern Bureau, and some covering forces were encircled along the Shizi Ridge line. At dawn on May 25, more than 10,000 Japanese and puppet troops launched a “tight encirclement” from all directions. Under the cover of six aircraft, they concentrated fierce artillery fire and bombarded relentlessly. Our forces fought back fiercely and organized a breakout. After a day of intense fighting, Peng Dehuai (Deputy Commander of the Eighth Route Army) and Luo Ronghuan (Director of the Political Department) led the Headquarters Directly-Subordinate Units and the Northern Bureau organs to break through the encirclement. However, Zuo Quan (Deputy Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army), while directing the rear service personnel to break out, was unfortunately hit by a shell and died a heroic death.

Taihang News Martyrs Memorial Monument Located 200 meters south of Xishan Village at the foot of Xishan Mountain, facing northeast toward Dayangjiao Village (the site where the news martyrs perished), it was unveiled on May 28, 1986. The monument is 7.5 meters high, with a square base featuring raised sides and carved railings. The main body is square-shaped, with the front engraved with a handwritten inscription by [Name]: “The Taihang News Martyrs Shall Live Forever!” The right side is inscribed with words by Lu Dingyi: “In May 1942, more than 40 comrades, including He Yun, the president of the North China Xinhua Daily, sacrificed heroically. The martyrs shall live forever.” The left side features the article “Biography of Comrade He Yun,” and the back lists the names of the Taihang News Martyrs. The entire structure is magnificent and awe-inspiring.

He Yun (President and Editor-in-Chief of the North China Xinhua Daily) and 46 staff members perished in the counter–“mopping-up” campaign in May 1942. This represents an extremely tragic chapter in the history of Chinese journalism.

Near the monument lies the tomb of Hua Shan (a renowned journalist and writer). Comrade Hua Shan passed away in 1986. In accordance with his wishes, part of his ashes were scattered in the Qingzhang River, and some were interred here.

Zuo Quan Martyrs' Cemetery Located on the northern section of Lingyuan Street in the county town, it houses a Martyrs’ Memorial Pavilion, Memorial Tower, and Zuo Quan Memorial Hall. The buildings feature an ethnic architectural style, elegant and beautiful. The cemetery is lush with pine and cypress trees, solemn and dignified.

After the victory of the War of Resistance, the people of Zuoquan County built the Zuo Quan Martyrs' Cemetery on the site of the former Wanshou Palace to commemorate the martyrs who bravely sacrificed during the eight-year war of resistance. The cemetery contains three memorial pavilions. In front of the main pavilion stands a bronze statue of General Zuo Quan, and inside the pavilion is a Zuo Quan Memorial Tower, inscribed with [Name]’s eulogy for General Zuo Quan, Luo Ronghuan’s inscription, and a chronicle of the eight-year war of resistance in Zuoquan County. The stone tablet on the left pavilion is inscribed with [Name]’s poem “Man Jiang Hong” in memory of General Zuo Quan. The Memorial Tower houses a stone tablet listing the names of Party, government, military, and civilian martyrs from Zuoquan County who died for the country during the eight-year war of resistance. The east-west corridors display exhibitions on revolutionary martyrs in Zuoquan. The rear section is the Zuo Quan Memorial Hall. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters’ arrival in Matian, [Name] inscribed the name of the Zuo Quan Memorial Hall. The hall displays a photo exhibition of General Zuo Quan, introducing his glorious life. Later, the ashes of martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War, the Korean War, and the period of socialist construction were also interred in the cemetery. This site has become a revolutionary tradition education base for the county’s people to pay tribute to the martyrs and inspire future generations.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units